Brida: A Novel (P.S.)

I enjoyed reading every page. I felt I was part of the journey, and witnessed every character's growth. Really well written and makes you feel so many emotions as you read. I highly recommend it!

This is the book that filled all the spiritual and magical gaps left out in The Alchemist. Very rewarding read that covers all the bases of a good book. I’ve said to many friends that this was the most important read of the year, possibly the decade, in my reading list.

The Alchemist is my favorite book of all time. I bought this book in a whim with that same level of expectation but don’t think it quite hits the mark. It focuses heavily on spiritual journeys and finding your soulmate, however all of this was explored through the lens of witchcraft which I hadn’t anticipated. It also explores Christianity a bit as well. All in all it is a nice read but didn’t necessarily have that “I can’t put it down” feeling.

This is Paulo Coehlo at his mystical best. I enjoy reading all of Paulo Coehlo’s books, even ones I don’t necessarily agree with completely, because I deeply admire his writing and messages about pursuing one’s path through life and what their journey means.Next to The Alchemist, this is one of Paulo Coehlo’s great books. And like the Alchemist, it is filled with magic and mystery and mysticism.The book focuses on a young woman named Brida. She has been trying to find teachers to guide her on the path of magic, to which she deeply feels drawn. She is brave seeking out teachers, and we go with her to meet The Magus, a renowned and mysterious mystic who lives in the forests. Brida is a wonderful character, driven to seek out her answers, but, nervous and fearful, as anyone would be. But she overcomes her fears because she is driven by something inside her to seek out these answers. And slowly, we begin to learn, as she does, that she is compelled to seek out these answers for a very good reason. She has been pursuing this path over many lifetimes, and something in her has to be reawakened in each life to continue. This is her destiny. And the Magus introduces her to aspects of the magical world and teaches her to trust nature and herself.Brida then finds her next teacher, Wicca, who is a witch and takes her on as a student. Wicca introduces her to rituals and helps Brida to discover past lives and the many worlds of witches and their deep ties to nature. Through Wicca, Brida learns to listen to the voice of nature and to dance to it. She also teaches her that this all comes with responsibility and the importance of honoring the tradition. She also learns that finding our Soul Mate in life is a very important part of our journey.This book is a wonderful world of magic and Paulo Coehlo is masterful and weaving the various traditions together, showing how many of them overlap into the magical world. I don’t know how much of this story is his own research and personal experience combined with the the genius of his storytelling, versus how much is based on real practices of the traditions. But, either way, it is a great story.

Recognizable nods to modern pagan traditions, but suffers from trying to put into words concepts that don’t lend themselves to discussion. It’s not surprising that trying to write a narrative about things that exist beyond those things for which we have words is going to be unsatisfying on some level. It was not wholly satisfying, but I would have been surprised had it been. Subjects for which words are not enough are difficult to situate in a contemporary, reality-based narrative. There’s a reason great teachers so often speak in parables.

Its been a while since I read it but my recollection is that it gave a great perspective from a female pov. Brida is on a path to find her vocation of being a witch. Her search leads her to people of great wisdom, who begin to teach Brida about the spiritual world. She meets a wise man who dwells in a forest, who teaches her about overcoming her fears and trusting in the goodness of the world, and a woman who teaches her how to dance to the music of the world, and how to pray to the moon. As Brida seeks her destiny, she struggles to find a balance between her relationships and her desire to become a witch.Though the story is about learning magic and becoming a witch. It really resonates with any quest to become good and even excel at something. That journey means leaving behind things or people you might love and only moving forward with what is essential to the new journey. It also means that those people you admire most make crucial relationships but you must also have appropriate boundaries in those boundaries. A great read. Truly enjoyed it.

For me this was one of the very best of Mr. Coehlo's work and I've read all of the novels, some twice, and will re-read many of them again. All the more amazing is that all of his books in the USA are translations from Portuguese. I have found his books to be always engaging, enlightening and, yes, even inspiring, though a few of them took me awhile to get "into" them. Once I did, I was hooked. The novel format is ideally suited for me; and, I believe it to be an effective way for many of us. A couple of reviews take Mr. Coehlo to task for a few (apparently)errors or misconceptions in the information being presented. I am not competent to judge those assertions; however, for me, the "true" information being presented is from the heart and no one has criticized that message...though, hey, what's a little criticism.

This beautiful inspired story of love, giftedness, and journey opened my heart to hear the depth of living an open life. I will reread it to see it more deeply. It softens the heart.

You read it very fast. However, for those with very influential minds please avoid it because it will do no good for your play dough minds. Nevertheless, who am I to stop you if you are already here

A well written reminder that love is the most powerful force in the universe and that in our vulnerability lays our greatest strength 💓

Paulo coelho et ces livres sont des incontournables. Livres de poche de qualité, rapport qualité prix au top, et le design et très beau je valide, idéale pour voyager et ou compléter sa bibliothèque

Paulo Coelho never disappointed me . An amazing stroy of Brida who is searching for her purpose. So much learnt from her story. A must read book .

I loved it! I read it within two days. Very well written and interesting.